Wednesday, January 25, 2012

January 23 my darling St. Bernard Katie left me. She was 12 years, 7 months, and 17 days old. That is a long life for a St. Bernard.Katie had a good life with lots of love and attention. She was an almost constant companion of mine. When we went to look at the puppies SHE chose me and we were best buds from then on. We traveled together whenever we could. She went to North Carolina with us when we went to visit Dean. She went to Virginia with us when Dale was working there. She went to town with me tons of times. She was well known in several stores around town. When we opened the pet bakery she went to work with me until she started having mobility issues.For the past several months her mobility was progressively getting worse. By the end her hindquarters did not work at all. I had made a sling to lift her so we could go outside to potty. It was hard to lift her sometimes but I continued to do it, with Dale's help sometimes.She was a very special pet. I have a vertigo problem and when Kate still came upstairs to sleep I woke more than once to find her laying across me so I couldn't get up. When I would wake I would be very dizzy. Katie knew. She would also keep me from standing when she sinced a vertigo bout coming on.Pets are much smarter than a lot of people give them credit for.Monday when I got home from the nursing home Kate was whimpering. She was laying flat on her side in the family room. She had phlegm all aroud her head and front legs. I called my son to come in. I cleaned her up as much as I could and talkec to her. I called Dale at work and he headed right home. I noticed that Katie was bloated and called the vet. The vet said she thought Katie had a twisted stomach. Surgery was the only way to fix it. I could not put Kate through that at her age since the vet said she only had about a 25% chance. It nearly killed me but I had to let her go.She is gone but will not be forgotten. She will always be my baby.Thank you for 12 1/2 wonderful years, my sweet Kate. Mommy loves you.